NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday (April 9, 2020) said that the country has recorded 5,734 confirmed cases of coronavirus so far, with 549 cases and 17 deaths being reported over the past 24 hours. 


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Addressing a joint press briefing with the ICMR officials, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, “Total 5734 confirmed cases reported in the country till date, 549 new cases in the last 24 hours. 166 deaths have been reported till dates, 17 deaths since yesterday." “473 people have recovered and been discharged from the hospital so far,’’ he added.


The top Health Ministry official also said that the supplies of PPEs, masks, ventilators have begun and orders for 1.7 crore PPEs have been duly placed.


"Supplies of PPEs, masks, and ventilators have now begun. 20 domestic manufacturers in India have been developed for PPEs, orders for 1.7 crore PPEs have been placed and the supplies have begun. 49,000 ventilators have been ordered," Aggarwal said.


The Joint Health Secretary further stated that the Indian Railways is converting 5,000 coaches into Isolation Units. "In order to prepare 80,000 isolation beds, Indian railways are converting 5,000 coaches into isolation units, of which 3,250 have been converted,’’ Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said.


He also informed that ten teams of coronavirus specialists have been sent to nine states.


Agarwal stressed that hospitals should follow infection control guidelines so that the medical staff doesn't contract COVID-19. The government guidelines state that not only PPE should be made available to medical staff, but also used rationally, he added. 


During the press briefing, a senior ICMR official said that 1,30,000 samples have been tested so Far, Out of these 5,734 samples tested positive till date.


‘’1,30,000 samples have been tested so far. Out of these 5,734 samples tested positive till date. The positivity rate ranges between 3-5% in the last 1-1.5 months. It has not increased substantially. Yesterday we tested 13,143 samples, ‘’the Indian Council of Medical Research official said.


The number of coronavirus COVID-19 infections saw a sharp rise on Wednesday (April 8, 2020) with 5,734 active cases, 473 recovered and 166 deaths, as per the data by Union Health Ministry at 8 am on Thursday (April 9).


While Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, at his meeting with other parliamentarians, hinted that the ongoing 21-day lockdown may be extended further and that a complete exit is not possible. PM Modi pointed out that the country was facing a "social emergency-like situation" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also cited serious economic challenges in containing the spread of the deadly virus, according to an official statement. 


PM Modi asserted that his government's priority is to "save each and every life", adding "The present situation is an epoch changing event in mankind's history and we must evolve to counter its impact." The Prime Minister is scheduled to interact with all chief ministers on April 11.